World Bank supports Ghana to improve primary health care, others

The World Bank today approved $300 million of IDA support for the Public Financial Management (PFM) for Service Delivery Program ($150 million) and the Primary Health Care Investment Program ($150 million) to help Ghana improve public resource mobilization and accountability for better service delivery and the quality and equity of primary health care.

The Primary Health Care Investment Program is co-financed by $31 million in grants by the Global Financing Facility (GFF), including $16 million to restore and protect essential health services amid multiple crises, including COVID-19.

“The two programs support important government priorities in improving service delivery and accountability and are even more relevant as Ghana begins recovering from the COVID-19 context,” said Pierre Laporte, World Bank Ghana Country Director for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

“Supporting the Government of Ghana to raise additional budgetary resources, control spending, and ensure that spending efficiency is maximized for health and education services, as well as other sectors, will be an invaluable for investment in the human capital of Ghana’s population.”

The Primary Health Care Investment program will support the Government of Ghana’s strategy for strengthening primary health care at the sub-district level and improving the accessibility and quality of essential health services. The Health Program will also support networking of primary health care services, and strengthen key management and financing systems, closely coordinated with the PFM Program. It will support improvements in coverage of the National Health Insurance Scheme, including for poor and vulnerable groups, and in its financing of primary health care services.

“The Program will benefit users of health services at the community level and by Health Centers as it enhances quality and access to key services, including maternal health care, child immunization, and management of chronic diseases,” said Patrick Mullen, Human Development Program Lead, and Task Team Leader of the Primary Health Care Investment Program.

“The Global Financing Facility (GFF) is proud to support the Government of Ghana’s leadership and commitment to strengthening health systems while ensuring access to essential health services, especially for women and children in the most vulnerable communities,” said Monique Vledder, Head of Secretariat, GFF.

“By enhancing the quality of primary care services in communities and promoting sustainable financing, Ghana can drive a more equitable and resilient recovery.”

The PFM for Service Delivery Program will support the government in improving public resource mobilization, allowing for increased fiscal space and greater resource allocation for public investment, and mitigation of Ghana’s debt situation.

It will also support the government’s program in improving resource allocation consistent with government priorities by managing subsidies and transfers to state owned enterprises towards improving their performance, transparency, disclosure, and accountability through effective oversight. Improved budget execution and accountability will enable better service delivery. The Program will help improve budget execution by ensuring that all Ministries, Departments and Agencies and other institutions providing public services receive their allocated budgets in time to enable them to function smoothly to improve service delivery.

“The Program beneficiaries include both public sector institutions as well as the general public, including taxpayers and recipients of public services” said Furqan Ahmad Saleem, World Bank Lead Public Specialist and Task Team Leader for the Program. “The Program builds on the successes and lessons learned from the World Bank’s past PFM operations and engagements and leverages ongoing engagements by other development partners”

The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, helps the world’s poorest countries by providing grants and low to zero-interest loans for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives. IDA is one of the largest sources of assistance for the world’s 76 poorest countries, 39 of which are in Africa. Resources from IDA bring positive change to the 1.6 billion people who live in IDA countries. Since 1960, IDA has supported development work in 113 countries. Annual commitments have averaged about $21 billion over the last three years, with about 61 percent going to Africa.